NEC Bamboo

Spring 2011 Chapter Meeting

Despite 1.2 million people descending on Boston to celebrate the Bruins winning the Stanley Cup and take part in the victory parade (!!!!!!!!), a nice handful of bambuseros enjoyed the Northeast Chapter (NEC) Summer Outing on Saturday. Scott and Stephanie Ritchie and their 3 year old daughter Josie, Whitney Adams, Ned Newton, new member Holly Peloquin and Susanne Lucas met at the Franklin Park Zoo and spent a couple hours cleaning, pruning, transplanting and planting bamboos in and around the Red Panda exhibit. The pair of pandas were removed to an adjacent pen, and we had access to inside. A few hundred yards away is a grove of Phyllostachys aureosulcata we had access to, so we dug clumps from there and moved them to the panda site. On behalf of the NEC, we also donated the following plants:

Fargesia scabrida (from Scott),

Fargesia rufa (from Susanne),

Sasa kurilensis (from Susanne)

Pleioblastus distichus (from Susanne)

From there we toured other bamboo plantings at the zoo, drove over to the Arnold Arboretum Walter Street gate to see the various bamboo there. Quite surprising is the success of some: Phyllostachys bambusoides, P. meyeri, P. atrovaginata, and others. Sadly they are neglected and could be so much nicer with alittle TLC. Susanne Lucas will try to arrange a work party there, but the union issue is a strong one.

We meandered around the Emerald Necklace way and arrived Chinatown with very little traffic problems. Our timing was good. We had parking passes from the Rose Kennedy Greenway management, so walked easily to the site of the bamboos, and enjoyed the nice weather. We made it inside the Chinese restaurant just before a brief downpour, and enjoyed dinner while we discussed NEC business and meeting ideas.
Meeting suggestions that came up: a meeting in western Massachusetts at Tripple Brook Farm this fall/ a meeting in NYC hosted by new member Ariel Dubov, next spring / a workparty at the Baltimore Zoo.

We have an open invitation anytime at the Franklin Park Zoo. The staff was very appreciative, helpful and kind and hope we come back regularly.